Review Compiled by Steve Mokaya and Maurice O. Ndole |HSN
Africa CDC Director said he was profiled at Frankfurt Airport.
Director of Africa CDC Dr. Ahmed Ogwell said immigration officers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany racially profiled him, putting his attendance at the World Health Summit in Germany in doubt.
“I’ve been mistreated at @Airport_FRA by immigration personnel who imagine I want to stay back illegally. My attendance of the @WorldHealthSmt is now in doubt. I’m happier & safer back home in Africa. They invite you, then mistreat you,” Ogwell said in a viral tweet.
In a 3-part tweet, Frankfurt Airport apologized to Ogwell and asked him to complete a complaint form.
“Hello, Dr. Ogwell; we are very sorry to hear about your recent experience. As an international airport, we welcome all passengers and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or racism. We would like to have more information about this incident,” Frankfurt Aiport said on Twitter.
They urged Ogwell to report his experience and send feedback to German Federal Police, responsible for the airport’s security.
The incident has attracted numerous comments criticizing the German authorities over discrimination and asking Ogwell to file a complaint instead of contacting him and conducting an independent investigation.
“@Airport_FRA Why do you shamelessly ask for a detailed account of the incident’ bla bla bla.. when you already have these details fully captured on CCTV footage. Eish! Absolutely an unacceptable request,” Malibe Hiribae tweeted.
President William Ruto meets Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Addis Ababa
President Ruto Thursday last week started his regional tours by visiting Ethiopia, where he met and held talks with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The leaders discussed strengthening the ties between the two countries for mutual benefit.
Ruto exhorted Ahmed to use the port of Lamu as the main port for the Southern part of Ethiopia.
In addition, both pledged to work together to enhance technological growth.
They also attended the official national launch of Safaricom services in Ethiopia. Safaricom is Kenya’s biggest telco and the most profitable in East Africa.
Uhuru Kenyatta excuses himself from Ethiopia peace talks.
Former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta Friday, exempted himself from the AU-led peace talks for Ethiopia. The peace talks meant to quell the war between Tigray forces and the Ethiopian federal forces were scheduled in South Africa last Saturday.
In his apology to Moussa Faki, the African Union chairperson, Kenyatta said he would not be able to attend owing to conflicts in his schedule.
President Ruto had appointed Kenyatta as Kenya’s special envoy to Ethiopia because, he said, “We are very concerned, very concerned because that’s our neighborhood. Whatever happens in Ethiopia gets to Kenya. We are the two largest economies in that corner, and therefore, a faltering Ethiopia weakens Kenya, so it is important for us to get involved.”
However, the peace talks didn’t take place owing to logistical changes. The war between Tigray and Ethiopia broke out in November 2020.
Ruto meets Museveni after General Muhoozi’s mockery of Kenya.
Ruto Saturday met with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Kampala. Ruto’s visit to Uganda came hot on the heels of a week of heated debate on Twitter, as military general Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son, slyly mocked Ruto’s election and said the Ugandan force could with ease run over Nairobi in a fortnight.
Museveni removed the son from the commander of the Ugandan land forces and promoted him to a full military general. Museveni later apologized to Kenya over his son’s remarks.
Ruto primarily went to Uganda, Kenya’s biggest trading partner, to attend its 60th independence anniversary.
Ruto and Museveni and their spouses engaged in various events, but Ruto, who Kainerugaba called “Afande Ruto” in one of his erstwhile tweets, did not have a public meeting.
President Ruto and President Hassan pledge to lift trade barriers
President Ruto of Kenya and President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania on Monday 10th pledged to lift 14 trade barriers between the two countries to increase trade and benefit their people.
While in Dar es Salaam, Ruto said he was keen to promote tourism and economic partnership between Tanzania and Kenya, in continuation with former President Kenyatta’s work.
Ruto and Hassan also said they would go on to build a gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa and later to Nairobi.
Ruto said that once constructed, the pipeline lower energy tariffs.
Tennis Star Okutoyi gets a scholarship in the US.
Kenya’s tennis sensation Angella Okutoyi has joined Auburn University in Alabama on a study scholarship.
The 18-year-old announced the good news on Twitter on Tuesday 11th, saying:
“[I’m] super excited to announce that I will be continuing my tennis career and education at Auburn University! Thanks to my family, coaches, friends, and everyone who helped me along the way.”
Okutoyi became the first Kenyan and sub-Saharan African to win a Grand Slam title at the girls’ juniors Wimbledon event in July this year.
Raila starts meet-the-people tours.
Azimio Presidential flag bearer in the just concluded elections and former prime minister, Raila Odinga Tuesday started tours in Nairobi to meet his supporters.
Tuesday, he met with Bunge la Mwananchi group in Nairobi, and on Wednesday, he met the residents of Mathare and Ruaraka constituencies in Nairobi. Odinga, who lost narrowly to Ruto in the August election, said he would not be quiet while Kenyans suffer. He criticized President Ruto’s government for ending subsidies and failing to make the cost of living affordable for Kenyans.
The DPP dropped major corruption cases for UDA allied leaders.
On Wednesday, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions dropped corruption charges against Aisha Jumwa and Ben Chumo in what has been seen as a cleaning-up exercise for Ruto-allied leaders.
Jumwa, the former Malindi MP and the CS nominee for the Gender and Public Works Ministry, was accused of graft in a Sh 19 million case, together with seven others. She had been indicted for allegedly stealing CDF funds.
The move by Noordin Haji to drop the charges against Jumwa will undoubtedly make her vetting exercise simple and seamless. However, Azimio allied MPs have sworn to perform a grueling vetting process for the 22 nominees.
The DPP Thursday also withdrew the Sh400 million graft case against former Kenya Power MD Ben Chumo and ten others. Chumo was charged alongside Muwa Company Limited.
The January 6th Committee Subpoenas Donald Trump.
In a dramatic never-before-seen move in U.S. history, the January 6th Select Committee unanimously voted to subpoena former U.S. President Donald Trump to testify about his role in inciting an insurrection that sought to derail the transfer of power.
In perhaps its last presentation before the mid-term elections, the Committee showed new evidence that Trump incited his supporters to attack the Capitol claiming the election was stolen when he privately acknowledged he had lost.
General Mike Miley said Trump told him something to the effect of “We lost. We need to let that issue go to the next guy.”
Communication Director Alyssa Farah also remembered Trump privately acknowledging he lost despite telling his supporters the election was stolen.
“I popped into the Oval just to give the president the headlines and see how he was doing. And he was looking at the T.V., and he said, ‘Can you believe I lost to this fucking guy?'” Farah said.
The Committee disclosed that former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale testified that Trump planned to declare himself the winner of the election as early as July 2020.
Speaking to friends in China, Trump’s adviser Steve Bannon also said Trump would declare himself the winner even if he lost.
“When you wake up Wednesday morning, it’s going to be a firestorm,” Bannon said.
The Committee also shared dramatic findings from the Secret Service and confirmed accounts that Trump lunged at a Secret Service Agent when he refused to drive him to the Capitol to join the rioters.
California Congressman Adam Schiff recounted a tip from the FBI that Secret Service received. The source said the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group, planned to bring weapons into D.C.
“They think that they will have a large enough group to march into D.C. armed and will outnumber the police so they can’t be stopped,” a Secret Service email read. “Their plan is to literally kill people,” the source wrote. “Please, please take this tip seriously and investigate further.”
To further justify their decision to subpoena Trump, the Select Committee showed videos of Trump associates refusing to answer questions and pleading the 5th Amendment to protect themselves from incriminating themselves.
According to Congresswoman Liz Cheney, a total of 30 Trump associates opted to plead the 5th.
Click here to read the January 6th Select Committee Twitter Page.